World Bank Comes to Congo’s Aid with $1 Billion Package

World Bank Comes to Congo’s Aid with $1 Billion Package

CONGO (Capital Markets in Africa) – The World Bank approved a $1 billion aid package for the Democratic Republic of Congo in a sign of confidence that the country’s new government can grow revenue and distance itself from a long history of corruption. The Washington D.C.-based lender agreed last week to spend $800 million on primary-school education and another $200 million on maternal and infant health in the country. President Felix Tshisekedi, who took over Congo…

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Nigeria Will Not Seek Debt Relief, Rules Out Eurobond Sale

Nigeria Will Not Seek Debt Relief, Rules Out Eurobond Sale

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) — Nigeria will not request a delay in debt-service payments this year from bilateral and commercial creditors, the largest economy yet to turn down a debt holiday offered to the world’s poorest nations. “Nigeria is not planning to ask for debt repayment deferment for our commercial loans or for our bilateral loans from our bilateral creditors,” Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed said in a call with investors organized by Citigroup. The…

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Mo Ibrahim Urges More African Access to IMF Reserves Amid Virus

Mo Ibrahim Urges More African Access to IMF Reserves Amid Virus

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) — Poor African nations should be allowed to borrow more from the International Monetary Fund’s reserves to help mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim. “There’s a lot of goodwill but where is the beef?” Ibrahim said in an interview during the virtual Bloomberg Invest Conference on Wednesday. “We are here waiting for the IMF to deploy this very powerful tool they have,…

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Budget Depicts Havoc Virus Wreaked on South Africa’s Economy

Budget Depicts Havoc Virus Wreaked on South Africa’s Economy

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) — South African Finance Minister Tito Mboweni delivered a grim assessment of the nation’s finances in a special adjustment budget that forecasts a deep recession and plunging tax revenue. Gross domestic product is forecast to shrink 7.2% this year, the most in almost nine decades and the consolidated budget deficit is expected to surge to 15.7%. While gross debt-to-GDP is to peak at 87.4% in four years, investors were cheered…

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The impact of COVID-19 on Nigeria’s power sector: How can power companies weather the storm?

The impact of COVID-19 on Nigeria’s power sector: How can power companies weather the storm?

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, the Nigerian power sector had been enmeshed in lingering challenges of inadequate and obsolete power generation, transmission and distribution facilities, that had made it impossible for the Nigerian state to meet the power requirements of resident individuals and businesses operating in the country. For most operators in the Nigerian power sector, the initial optimism that heralded their entry and subsequent investments in…

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Boris Pledges $1.2 Billion of Catch-Up Schooling for U.K. Kids

Boris Pledges $1.2 Billion of Catch-Up Schooling for U.K. Kids

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) — Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a $1.2 billion package to help U.K. children catch up on schooling they missed during the coronavirus lockdown. State primary and secondary schools will be able to draw on 650 million pounds of funding, with school principals to decide on how it’s spent, Johnson’s office said in an emailed statement, adding that small group tuition should be the favored intervention. A separate 350 million-pound…

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U.K. Government Debt Tops 100% of GDP for First Time Since 1963

U.K. Government Debt Tops 100% of GDP for First Time Since 1963

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) — U.K. government debt rose above 100% of the gross domestic product in May for the first time since 1963, reflecting a precipitous drop in economic output and a surge in spending to counter the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Borrowing increased by more than 100 billion pounds ($124 billion) in the two months to May, as tax revenue plunged and the government deployed a massive support package to save jobs…

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